I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to prosthesis coverings and more particular to an external protective and cosmetic covering for an endoskeletal or exoskeletal prosthesis.
II. Related Art
Prosthetic devices, such as legs, have advanced from simple wooden legs to complex mechanisms providing appropriate articulation at the knee, ankle and/or foot joints. These advances focus on facilitating a more natural gait for the prosthesis wearer which will reduce pressure on the wearer's body and reduce the wear and tear on the leg and its joint mechanisms. An example of a recent prosthetic device with a complex joint mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,780 to Flatt et al.
Prosthesis coverings serve two purposes. First, they provide an authentic leg look by incorporating skin color and texture. Second, these coverings protect the prosthesis and its mechanisms from the environment, increasing the life of the prosthesis. The coverings are either a part of the prosthesis or are separate. The separate coverings are often in the form of a sock that may have an open foot end or a closed foot end. Thus, the covering preferably has a skin tone and texture close to the wearer's skin in addition to accommodating repetitive movement at the ankle, knee and foot joints without creating excessive wrinkling or wear and tear at those locations.
One way to make the prosthesis look more realistic is to incorporate toes into the skin or foot. However, realistic looking toes are not easily made, especially on sock-type coverings. The assignee of the present invention, Daw Industries, has a sock-type covering with an open foot end. This covering is used on a prosthesis which may or may not have toes formed on the foot portion of the prosthesis. Thus, the prosthesis covering does not cover the toe portion of the foot. In order to have a realistic and complete appearance, Daw Industries provides a color coating for matching the toe end of the foot portion to the color of the prosthesis covering.
Therefore, what is needed is a closed end realistic-looking sock-type covering for a prosthesis device that has a realistic appearance of toes.